UK industry workers facing “extreme” financial struggles, reports Film and TV Charity

Marcus Ryder (Source: Film & TV Charity)

Almost half of UK freelance industry workers are struggling to manage financially, according to a new report by the Film and TV Charity.

The report, Money Matters: Examining The Financial Circumstances Of The Film, TV And Cinema Industry Workforce, surveyed more than 2,000 behind the scenes workers and found that they are facing “extreme levels of financial vulnerability.”

It reported that 45% of respondents were struggling with money, while 42% had less than £1,000 ($1,267) in savings, more than 80% have seen savings decrease and 29% have both low cash savings and high levels of debt.

According to the report, more than 80% had been affected by the recent production downturn, with more than a quarter having work cancelled due to the US strikes.

Freelancers, film workers, those with a disability or a long-term health condition, and carers with adult dependents were named as finding the current financial situation particularly difficult. A staggering 71% of those polled were pessimistic or very pessimistic about their financial future.

Furthermore, 40% felt they wouldn’t be able to make ends meet for more than a month if they lost their income, with more than a third running out of money before the end of the week or month most of the time over the last 12 months.

The report follows up on a snapshot survey conducted by the charity in the spring and summer of 2023 where the organisation saw an 800% rise in applications for its Stop-Gap Grant from workers experiencing urgent financial need.

Marcus Ryder, who was appointed as CEO at the Film and TV Charity in July, said: “The Money Matters report is a sobering read and it’s critical that the survey results it highlights form the basis for urgent discussion about the welfare of the film and TV workforce, retention of talent, and the future health of the industry as a whole.

“Currently, behind the scenes workers are asked to navigate an industry prone to boom and bust cycles, to deal with structural shifts and respond and pivot to meet the needs of changing business models.

“In too many cases, they’re asked to do so without any of the safety nets afforded to other workers, despite being at the heart of a multi-billion pound pillar of the UK economy. At the same time, we ponder why people are leaving the workforce and why we struggle to attract and retain talent from marginalised or under-represented groups.”

Ryder said that it was “inherent that we have the difficult conversations, address the business models and identify the policies needed so that we can collectively make a real difference to a workforce currently struggling to find any optimism in its financial future.”

Click here to read the report in full.